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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24435244">Ice Ice Baby</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Machancheese/pseuds/Machancheese'>Machancheese</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Prodigal Son (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo, Frostbite, Gen, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:34:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24435244</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Machancheese/pseuds/Machancheese</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Malcolm chills (literally). Y'all I hate summaries.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gil Arroyo &amp; Malcolm Bright, Malcolm Bright &amp; JT Tarmel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ice Ice Baby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Malcolm had been ecstatic when he woke up to it snowing outside his window. Snow was one of the few things he still enjoyed after Dr. Whitly’s arrest. Gil and Jackie’s yearly ski trips were to thank for that. The week’s spent up in the snowy hills were filled with the three of them, smiling over cups of peppermint cocoa, in front of a fire. They always skied a bit, but Malcolm wasn’t a huge fan of it, so they settled on walks and snowball fights.</p><p>Snow brought happiness. Even as he ran through the forest on the heels of a suspect, he couldn’t help but smile a little inside, as tree branches rained piles of white powder down on them as they passed. He was faster than the others and had been given a head start so the team was further behind. Malcolm was so close, he lunged forward onto the man pushing him to the ground, the pair wrestling around in the snow.</p><p>The suspect had strength that Malcolm wasn’t expecting. One second he was on their back the next he was being thrown. He hit the soft snow with a grunt, glad he wasn’t injured Malcolm started to get back on his feet. </p><p>The ground under his feet began to slide, and he went with it. He attempted to grab anything to stop himself from sliding down the cliff but failed. Malcolm caught a glimpse of a rushing river below him only seconds before he crashed through the surface into the ice water.</p><p>The rough current threw him around in circles as he tried to recover enough to return to the top. He made it up gasping for air, but the rapids were moving fast and kept thrusting him back under. A few minutes passed of him being beaten up against rocks, before he was able to grab onto a fallen tree. He sluggishly pulled himself to the land. Exhausted and disoriented he prayed that he was on the same side of the river as his team.</p><p>Malcolm stumbled up the shallow incline, shivers running through his body. He couldn’t have gone too far down the river. He should have been close enough to hear if the team called out for him. Malcolm had to just keep moving.</p><p>After what felt like hours to him, but was actually only minutes. Malcolm’s clothes started to stiffen as the water drenching them began to freeze. Worry gradually began to kick in, he already couldn’t feel his fingers and toes, while the cold wind abused his face. Malcolm wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep walking, he was feeling dizzy and loopy, stumbling each step he took. </p><p>Then Malcolm remembered his phone, unzipping his snow coat pocket he reached his hand in, glad to find it still there, and thanked god for water resistant iPhones. His shaky frozen fingers struggled to unlock his phone and call Gil, but once Gil picked up, Malcolm fell to the snowy ground in relief.</p><p><em>“Malcolm are you alright?”</em> Gil instantly asked.</p><p>“I-I-I’m a l-l-little col’ and I ha-h-have no idea w-where you guys ar’” Malcolm slurred through his chattering teeth.</p><p><em>“Malcolm I need you to stay where you are, but keep moving. Walk in place or do jumping jacks, just keep your blood flowing.”</em> Gil instructed.</p><p>Malcolm gave a nervous laugh. “It’s a-a little l-late for th-that . I'm sitting down in the s-snow. G-Gil I’m so numb i-it hurts, how is th-that e-even possible?” </p><p>
  <em>“I need you to tell me what you did after you fell in the river.”</em>
</p><p>“I uhhhh the water ummm pushed m-me until I found a tree to grab onnnn toooo. I pulled myself to sh-sh-shore and climmmbed hhill, but I s-swear it was steeper fa-fa-falling down then climbing back up. Since then, I have just b-been walking u-up stream.”</p><p><em>“I think you are on the other side of the river, I’m going to get someone to track your phone. The team and I will go to the other side and start walking down stream. Medics and backup are on the way, you just need hold on a little longer kid. We’re coming.”</em> Gil promised.</p><p>Malcolm hummed out a reply.</p><p>
  <em>“Bright, I’m going to hand the phone over to JT. I need to have my full focus on finding you, but you keep talking to JT okay. That way we can keep you updated and you can do the same for us.”</em>
</p><p>Malcolm couldn’t even give any sign of acknowledgement that time, he was so tired and cold, he could barely stay vertical let alone find words to come out of his mouth.</p><p><em>“JT keep him conscious , we got to get going now!</em>” Malcolm faintly heard Gil order from the other side of the phone. </p><p><em>“Hey man!”  </em>JT greeted in a more positive tone.</p><p>“Heyyuum…” Malcolm slurred.</p><p>
  <em>“What’s going on Bright? How are you doing?” </em>
</p><p>“I’m ta-taking a… rest i-it’s s-so col’ snow ssso soff…” Malcom drifted.</p><p>
  <em>“Can I ask you a favor, I forgot what comes after ‘K’ in the alphabet?”</em>
</p><p>“A… B… C…” JT listened as Malcolm slowly made it to ‘K’ “‘L’! It’s L that is what comes next!” Malcolm exclaimed.</p><p>
  <em>“Oh yeah, you're right! I want you to do something else for me I—” </em>
</p><p> Malcolm stopped him before he could continue. “Why do I keep having to do things, I just want to shleep and no one will let me!”</p><p>
  <em>“Bright, You need to stand up and walk up stream and meet us halfway.” </em>
</p><p>“No.” Malcolm hung up the phone and threw it a few feet away. He fell back, lying down in the snow with a sigh, finally he had silence. He started to drift as he watched the clouds above float by the tree tops. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>“MALCOLM! SHOUT OUT IF YOU CAN HEAR US!” </p><p>Why were people yelling at him? What did he do this time?  He was just resting, what was so wrong with that?</p><p>“Malcolm, I need you to open your eyes. Come on kid.” Gil pleaded lightly patting his cheek. When did he arrive? Ignoring the Lieutenants request he kept his eyes closed giving them a groan in detest.</p><p>“Gil they won’t be able to get a stretcher out here, this snow is too soft.” Malcolm heard Dani say from above.</p><p>Suddenly he was being lifted up off the ground. Cold air hit his back where it was once protected from the wind.  A chill went through his spine, before he noticed the warm contact on his left side. He leaned in closer and got a whiff`of cologne he was familiar with, JT. Malcolm distantly felt his hands get moved in between him and JT, a dry coat thrown over him. </p><p>“You know it's rude to hang up on people right?”  The words vibrated through JT’s chest.</p><p>Malcolm smiled into JT’s shoulder at the comment. Each minute that passed more voices could be heard around him. Occasionally warm fingers would sneak to his neck, startling him, as someone checked his pulse.</p><p>The next thing he knew he was being separated from the heated contact of his team member, but he didn’t mind much when he found that the space surrounding him was warmer, as he was placed on a cushioned surface. An oxygen mask was put over his frozen nose and mouth, filling his lungs with heated air. Malcolm numbly felt the paramedics touching his body and a slight burn in several places. At that point he was completely drained and let himself fall unconscious, not wanting to feel what it was like to defrost.</p><p> </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t breathe. It was so hot, where was he? There was a mild pain through his whole body. When Malcolm opened his eyes, the room temperature seemed to increase and his breathing got faster, as he found his hands cuffed to the guard rails of the bed he was laying in. He felt sweat drenching the hospital gown hidden under the several layers of blankets on top of him.</p><p>Looking at his hands he saw that each finger tip was bandaged up, and they both rested on hot pads. He wasn’t sure he could get his breathing under control. The small hospital room mixed with Malcolm’s high temperature, cuffed wrists, and the weight of the blankets on him, made him claustrophobic and anxious. </p><p>While picking at the white bandages on his fingers and trying to keep his panic under some form of control, he didn’t notice someone entered the room until a hand was placed on the back of his neck causing him to jump.</p><p>“Woah kid take a breath you’re okay, deep breaths.” The second Malcolm saw Gil, he melted into the man’s chest as Gil pulled him close.</p><p>“I-It’s so hot.” Malcolm gasped.</p><p>“I know the doctor had to get your temperature back up.” Gil rubbed the kids back and removed two of the three blankets on Malcolm’s lap. </p><p>Malcolm concentrated on matching his breath to Gil’s, as he gently worked on releasing Malcolm’s wrists from the cuffs.</p><p>“Sorry about these kid, you were having some rough night terrors while you were out.” </p><p>“How long?” He mumbled into Gil’s shoulder. </p><p>“Just a couple of hours, you had hypothermia and mild frostbite on your fingers and toes. Luckily they didn’t have to cut anything off, you have some nasty blisters, but you get to keep all of your appendages.”</p><p>“Good.” Malcolm sighed.</p><p>“Rest up kid. I’ll stay here for a bit.” Gil comforted, settling more onto the bed.</p><p>Malcolm hummed leaning closer into him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was for my Frostbite square on my Bad Things Happen Bingo Card. I hope you enjoyed. It's so hot in my room right now and I don't have air conditioning. It kinda sucks, I would do anything to be running around in the snow, but of course not do what Malcolm did. I hope you enjoyed it feel free to leave a comment and a kudo. I love you all and I hope you're safe and healthy in these terrifying times.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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